Paper towel dispensing machine



Aug. 3, 1954 KOPF 2,685,445

PAPER TOWEL DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l HIIIIIII! \NK/ENTOIQ. 5 PHIL 1P KOPF.

ATTORNEY,

Aug. 3, 1954 P, KOPF 2,685,445

PAPER TOWEL DISPENSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 116 IN'VENTOR. PHIL/P KOPE ATTORNEY.

' sion of a paper towel Patented Aug. 3, 1954 was UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,685,445 PAPER TOWEL DISPENSING MACHINE Philip ,Kopf, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application January 30, 1951, Serial No. 208,623

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a paper towel dispenser.

The paper towel dispenser which is herein described and claimed is the type of dispenser which is used in public washrooms in railroad terminals, meeting halls, restaurants, office buildings and the like. The paper towels are fed from a large roll of paper toweling. The paper is imperforate and it is necessary to sever predetermined. lengths of the paper in order 'to provide the individual paper towels.

Paper dispensers of this general character are widely in use in this country, but they all suffer from one serious disadvantage: In all cases, the paper is drawn manually out of the dispenser and the dispensing mechanism merely limits the length of paper which may be drawn out at any one time. In the normal course of events, a persons hands are wet when he reaches for the paper towel to draw it out of the dispenser. Such being the case, it frequently happens that the paper tears before its full, predetermined length is pulled out of the dispenser. Besides, the exposed length of paper is apt to be contaminated by exposure to dirt and dust and to the hands of others than the user's.

It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide :a paper towel dispenser which mechanically, and by spring action, feeds a predetermined length of paper to the person operating the same, and all'that need be done after the paper is fed out of themachine is to sever it against a cutting member such as a serrated blade. The person who wishes to dispense a paper towel to himself from the machine herein claimed, in effect merely energizes the machine and the machine thereafter performs the function of feeding a predetermined length of the paper without any further manual attention. The feeding mechanism is spring powered. The person operating the dispenser simply loads a spring and the loaded spring then actuates the feeding mechanism. A predetermined length of paper is fed from the dispenser and the dispenser then locks to prevent any further feeding of the paper until the spring is once again loaded. The paper may-then be severed along the serrated edge and used as desired. The paper which remains in the dispenser is supported, for all practical purposes, out of sight and out of reach and in sanitary condition until the mechanism is once again actuated and the paper is once againzfed from the dispenser.

Another object of this invention is the providispenser of the character described, which is so constructed as to be readily serviced, both for the purpose of renewing its supply of paper and for the purpose of maintenance. Its mechanism is virtually fool-proof, and it cannot run down since it is energized each and every time that it is used.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a suitable cabinet for the dispensing mechanism, said cabinet being provided with a lock which may be opened without a conventional type of key. The cabinet may be opened by simply pressing a pin against the latch, but since the opening to the latch is, in a sense, hidden, and since the unlocking action is so unusual and unexpected, the mechanism cannot readily be reached by vandals wishing to tamper with it.

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front view of a paper towel dispenser made in accordance with this invention, the front wall of its cabinet being partly broken away to expose the paper and the pressure and looking roller in engagement with the paper.

Fig. 2 is a side view looking from the left as viewed in Fig. l, the left side wall being partly broken away to expose the roll of paper, the feeding roller and the combination pressure and locking roller engaging the paper, and the latching mechanism which locks the cabinet door, said door being shown, in dot and dash lines, in open position, and in solid lines, in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the dispensing mechanism, looking from the right as viewed in Fig. 1, said mechanism being shown in inoperative position.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the energizing stage, that is the step of loading the spring which actuates the feeding mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the spring in loaded position and the feeding mechanism ready for the feeding operation.

Fig. 6 is still another similar view showing the feeding mechanism in operation.

Fig. '7 is an opposite end View of the housing which supports the paper roll and the entire mechanism within the cabinet.

Fig. 8 is a detailed view of the spring-urged feeding arm of the feeding mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through the main shaft of the paper feeding mechanism, showing the interrelationship between the operating handle and some of the major components of said feeding mechanism.

The paper towel dispenser shown in the draw- It will also benoted ing is provided with cabinet 29 which has a door 22 and it is also provided with a frame or housing 24 which carries the roll of paper 26 and the dispensing mechanism 2s. The cabinet may be provided with a pair of keyholeshaped openings 36 to accommodate a pair of screws or nails or the like for hanging on a wall. The shape of the cabinet is not critical but a functional shape, keyed to the shape of the structure and mechanism enclosed by said cabinet, is shown in Fig. 2. The back wall 32 in which the keyhole-shaped openings are formed is a fiat wall which may rest fiat against the wall of the room in which the cabinet is installed. The bottom wall 34 may also be a flat wall, perpendicular to back wall 32. A slot 35 is formed in the bottom wall, parallel to the plane of the back wall, to serve as an exit cpening for the paper toweling 38 which is drawn from the paper roll 25. cover or door '22 curve upwardly in a common, graceful curve leading to the top edge of the back wall of the cabinet. The curved door 22 hinged at both ends it is provided with at Latch i4 is fastened to the inside of the leading edge of the door by means of pin 46 and brackets 98 which carry said pin. A torsion spring 58 is also mounted on said pin and one end bears in AD by means of pins &2, and

against the door and the other end bears against the latch to urge said latch into locking position as shown by means of solid lines in Fig. 2. Latch M is thereby caused to engage a flange 52 which is supported by the back wall of the cabinet and the door is thereby locked and held in closed position. To disengage the latch from flange 52, all that need be done is to insert a pin ti l into a hole '56 formed in the door and to push the latch, against the action of spring 56, out of engagement with flange 52. See the dot and dash lines in Fig. 2.

The frame or housing 2a which supports the paper roll 26 and the feeding mechanism may be placed on the floor or bottom wall 3 3 of the cabinet as Fig. 6 clearly shows. The roll of paper is wound around a rod 58 and slots or notches 6i! and 60a are formed in the side walls 62 and E i, respectively, of said frame or housing 2% to accommodate the ends of said rod The paper roll is thereby adequately supported and at the same time, it is free therefrom.

It will be noted in Figs. 2 and 6 that the paper. after leaving the paper roll 26, passes between a feed roller 55 and a locking roller 58. Torsion spring it bears pressure roller 58 to press said roller against the paper and to press the paper against feed roller 66. It will be noted that roller 63 is a transversely grooved roller, having a plurality of uniiormly spaced, annular grooves 69 formed thereon for a better gripping action on the paper. in Fig. '7 that the shaft E5! of said grooved roller rides in slots 7 i, instead of in holes, so as to allow said roller to move toward and away from the feed roller 55. As has above been indicated, the paper leaves the cabinet through slot 36. A serrated blade '12 is provided along said slot 36 for severing the paper into individual paper towels.

Patrons may operate the mechanism by means of an L-shaped crank handle 14 whose horizontal portion is rotatably supported by bracket '18 of frame it. A shaft 75 is provided which is fixed at one end to side wall 62 of said frame 24 by means of a flanged The front wall iii and 1 least one hinged latch to rotate to feed the paper towel dispensing v combination pressure against collar 63. The opposite end of the shaft projects into a tubular coupling l9 which also receives horizontal portion '15 of the handle and is fixed thereto by means of screw Bl, The coupling maintains the shaft and the horizontal portion of the handle in axial alignment with each other, but it is free to rotate with said handle relative to said shaft. Rotatably mounted on the shaft is a bushing 85 and mounted on said bushing is a pawl arm 89, and a gear wheel E8 is also mounted thereon immediately adjacent said arm 80. Arm iii? and gear wheel 96 are free to engage in angular movement relative to each other and relative to shaft '16. A strong torsion spring 82 is mounted on shaft 76, one end 83 thereof being engaged in a hole in said shaft and the opposite end being engaged in a lug 84 (Fig. 3) on said pawl arm as. The tendency of torsion spring 82 is to urge arm iii! to swing in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6. A second arm 86 is mounted on and fixed to coupling 19, and since said coupling is fixed to the handle, arm 86 is, in effect, also fixed to said handle. A second torsion spring 88 is provided, which engages arm 8% and urges it to swing in clockwise direction, also as viewed in Fig. 6.

Mounted on arm is a bowed leaf spring pawl at which engages the teeth of gear wheel 91) and. causes said gear wheel to turn in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6, when said arm 36 is itself swung in clockwise direction. When arm 86 is swung in counter-clockwise direction, its pawl 94 slips over the teeth of gear wheel 98 and produces no efiect upon its angular position. To make certain that the gear wheel will not turn when arm 39 moves in counterclockwise direction, a locking mechanism is provided which comprises the following elements: a third arm 98 which is pivoted on pin 93 supported by brackets it on side wall 182 of frame i l, a torsion spring I64 on said pin 98 which engages said wall 182 and said arm 95 and urges said arm to pivot in counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, and a lug Hi5 which is struck out from arm 96 and which is engageable with the teeth of gear wheel Sill to lock said gear wheel against rotation. The action is as follows:

The handle is moved in counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. Since arm is fixed to the handle by means of tubular coupling is, it moves integrally therewith, also in counterclockwise direction. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that arm 86 normally bears against arm 35 by reason of the action of torsion spring 83 on said arm 86. Spring 88 is stronger than spring 284 and hence arm 85 is thereby held in its Fig. 3 position against the action of spring [GL and out of engagement with, the teeth of gear wheel 90. But once the handle moves in counter-clockwise direction, it disengages arm 85 from arm as and thereby enables said arm 93 to move in counterclockwise direction in response to the action of spring I84 and into locking engagement with gear wheel 90. See Fig. 4.

The action of spring 82 on arm 8! causes the flange 86a. of said arm, in its inoperative position, to bear against the right angled extension 86a of arm 86. See Fig. 3. Conversely, when arm 86 is swung in counter-clockwise direction by means of handle M, it, in turn, bears against flange 80a of arm 80 and pushes said arm in counter-clockwise direction to its Fig.5 position, thereby loading spring 82, During this process of moving arm 88 to its Fig. 5 position, pawl 94 slips over the teeth of gear wheel and produces no efiect upon the angular position of said gear wheel. Nor could any effect be produced on the angular position of said gear wheel since it is locked against rotation by lug wt of arm 96. Handle 14 may now be released and spring 88, acting upon arm 86, will swing both said arm and said handle back in clockwise direction to their Fig. 3 positions. Arm 83 will once again engage arm 96 and said arm 95 will thereby be caused to disengage the teeth of gear Wheel 3-3. The gear wheel is now free to rotate under the influence of loaded spring as, act ing through arm 80 and pawl 94. The gear wheel 90 is thus caused to turn in clockwise direction and since it meshes with gear wheel 92 on roller 66, said roller is caused to rotate in counter-- clockwise direction. And since roller 58 presses tightly against paper 38 and causes said paper to press tightly against roller $6, the effect is to cause roller 63 to turn in clockwise direction and the paper to be pulled downwardly from roll 26. See the arrows in Fig. 6.

There are two factors which determine the length of paper which rollers 66 and 6% feed from the machine. The first is the angular distance travelled by gear wheel 96. The second is a locking mechanism. which locks roller 68 against rotation. Referring now to the angular distance travelled by gear wheel 98, it will be seen that an adjustable stop 168 is provided to limit the coun- 2 ter-clockwise movement of arm 8! This stop member 108 may be raised or lowered, depending upon whether the range of movement of arm 8!} is to be shortened or lengthened. The range of movement of arm 80 naturally determines the distance of angular travel of gear wheel 9%. It will be noted in Fig. 1 that stop member N18 is supported by means of a pin HEB in any one of three communicating slots H2 formed in the front wall of the cabinet. In Fig. 1, pin Hi! is shown to occupy the .middle slot but it may be moved into the upper slot to shorten the stroke of arm 80 or into the stroke. Slots H2 extend diagonally downwardly so as to retain pin I It! in whichever of said slots it may be placed and to prevent accidental dislodgement thereof. A handle member H4 is attached to stop member H68 so as to facilitate adjusting the position of said stop member.

The stop member which acts upon roller 53 is a hook-shaped leaf spring H6. One end of said leaf spring is fastened by means of rivets M8 to the top of arm 86 on flange 81m. The opposite end is the hook-shaped end 129 which is adapted to engage toothed wheel !22 on roller 65;, when. arm 89 is in its Fig. 3 position. It will be noted in Fig. 3 that when arm 8!) is in its inoperative position, that is at the end of a feeding stroke, leaf spring H5 is bent over the pivoted end of said arm fill, and it is thereby shortened sun ciently for its hook end 26 to pull upwardly and to engage the teeth of toothed wheel I22. This prevents the toothed wheel from rotating and hence, it prevents roller 68 from rotating. Since the two rollers 63 and 65 are pressed toward each other on opposite sides cf the paper, this locking action against toothed wheel 22 prevents further feeding of the paper from the paper roll. When, however, arm 8B is caused to move in counterclockwise direction, spring H6 unbends itself and thereby lengthens sufficiently to disengage toothed wheel H2 as Fig. 4 clearly shows. It is at this time that arm 96 takes over and locks gear Wheel 9!! against rotation. But when the handle swings back to its inoperative position, and arm lower slot to lengthen its,

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- direction to engage the gear '6 86 reengages arm 96 and frees said arm 96 from gear Wheel 90, the entire mechanism is free to operate since neither said arm 96 nor said spring I I6 is in operative position. This may be seen in Fig. 6 where arm is shown moving in clockwise direction and pushing gear wheel 90 along with it.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of this invention, and it will clearly be understood that this embodiment may be modified in many respects within the broad scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus described claim as new and desire Patent, is:

l. A web feeding mechanism for feeding paper toweling from a roll in a towel dispensing cabinet machine, said mechanism comprising a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in said cabinet and gripping the paper web between them as it un winds from the roll, a gear train operatively connected to one of said rollers, a pivotally mounted handle, a first arm fixedly connected to said handle, a second arm pivotally mounted adjacent my invention, what I to secure by Letters said first arm and engageable therewith, a pawl on the second arm which engages and operates the gear train when the second arm pivots in clockwise direction, and a spring engaging said second arm, handle-being movable in counter-clockwise direction to push said second arm in counter-clockwise direction by means of the first arm and thereby to load the spring, handle being movable in clockwise direction to disengage the first arm from the second arm and thereby to free the second arm for cloc 'wise movement in response to the action of the loaded spring, whereby the pawl is caused to engage and operate the gear train and thereby to turn the roller to which said gear train is operatively connected and to draw the paper web from the paper roll, a third, pivotally mounted, springurged arm which is situated in the path of movement of the first arm, said third arm being normally urged by its spring in counter-clockwise train and to lock it against operation, said first arm being movable with the handle in clockwise direction to engage said third arm and to disengage said third arm from the gear train, and thereby to free the gear train for operation in response to the clockwise movement of the pawl on the spring-urged second arm.

2. A web feeding mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein a toothed wheel is conv nected to the second roller, and a toothed wheelengaging member is connected to the second arm, said toothed wheel-engaging member comprising a relatively long, flat leaf spring which is attached at one end to said second arm and which is provided with a hook-shaped portion at its opposite end, said leaf spring being movable into abutment with the toothed wheel on the second roller when the second arm approaches the end of its clockwise travel, said leaf spring being bendable against the pivoted end of said second arm when the second arm reaches the end of its clockwise travel, to shorten the straight line distance between the two ends of said leaf spring, and thereby to bring its hook-shaped end into engagement with said toothed wheel on the second roller and to lock said second roller against rotation.

3. A web feeding mechanism for feeding paper toweling from a roll in a towel dispensing cabinet machine, said feeding mechanism comprising a first roller rotatably mounted in said cabinet, a second roller rotatably mounted in said cabinet, a spring engaging said second roller and urging it against the first roller so as to enable the two rollers to grip relative thereto, a handle pivotally mounted relative to said shaft, a first arm fixed to said handle, a second arm pivotally mounted on said shaft for pivotal movement into and out of engagement with the first arm, a

one end of said spring being fixed to the shaft, said handle being movable relative to said shaft in counter-clockwise direction to push said second arm in said direction by means of the first arm and thereby to load the spring, said handle being movable in clockwise direction to disengage the first arm from the second arm and thereby to free the second arm for clockwise movement in response to the action of the loaded spring, whereby the pawl is caused to engage the second gear wheel and to turn said second gear wheel in clockwise direction, and thereby to cause the first gear wheel and the roller on which it is mounted to turn in counter-clockwise direction and to draw the web, in cooperation with the second roller, from the paper roll, a third, pivotally mounted, spring-urged arm situated in the path of movement of the first arm, said third arm being movable in counter-clockwise direction to with the handle in clockwise direction to engage said third arm and to disengage said third arm from said second gear wheel, and thereby to free with claim 3, wherein a toothed wheel is coning a relatively long, fiat leaf spring which is attached at one end to said second arm, and which is provided with a hook-shaped opposite end, said leaf spring being the toothed wheel when the second arm approaches the end of its clockwise travel, said leaf spring being bendable against the pivoted end of said second arm when the second arm reaches the end of its clockwise travel, to shorten the straight-line distance between the two ends of said leaf spring, and thereby to bring its hookshaped end into engagement with said toothed wheel and to lock said second roller against rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,386,709 Jensen Aug. 9, 1921 1,958,080 Bottker et al. May 8, 1934 1,959,332 Bowles et al. May 22, 1934 1,972,850 McCarthy Sept. 4, 1934 1,975,414 Wade Oct. 2, 1934 2,001,903 Furrer May 21, 1935 2,105,928 Perrin Jan 18, 1938 2,243,686 Steiner et al. May 27, 1941 2,404,317 Salfisburg July 16, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 403,835 Great Britain Jan. 4, 1934 443,544 Great Britain Nov. 27, 1934 801,728 France May 23, 1936 

